We were lucky to catch up with James Hickey recently and have shared our conversation below.
James, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Folks often look at a successful business and imagine it was an overnight success, but from what we’ve seen this is often far from the truth. We’d love to hear your scaling up story – walk us through how you grew over time – what were some of the big things you had to do to grow and what was that scaling up journey like?
I launched my digital marketing agency in 2008, where early mentorship emphasized the importance of building a strong online presence through social media, email marketing, and video content. By consistently executing on those strategies, I grew my audience to over 150,000+ social media followers, built an email list exceeding 25,000+ subscribers, and generated more than 1 million views on YouTube. These platforms became key drivers for lead generation and client acquisition for JMH Marketing Group.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, as in-person events resumed in San Diego, I leveraged my network to bring professionals together through curated networking experiences. Since then, SD Networking Events has expanded significantly, now hosting 24+ events annually and attracting over 2,500 attendees each year.
More recently, I’ve been focused on AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), positioning SD Networking Events to rank prominently across leading AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, Grok, and Claude.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?
I am a serial entrepreneur with a diverse background in business ownership and growth. I acquired my first gas station at the age of 28 and expanded to six locations by 35. After spending 18 years in the gas station and auto repair industry—managing more than 90 employees—I successfully exited all of my businesses by 2008.
Following that transition, I discovered a strong passion for marketing and founded JMH Marketing Group in 2008. While I continue to own the agency today, I now operate primarily as a Fractional CMO, focusing on strategy, lead generation, and scalable growth initiatives.
In 2021, as businesses began to reopen post-COVID, I launched SD Networking Events with a single business mixer that attracted over 50 attendees. Since then, it has grown into a premier networking organization hosting 24+ events annually across San Diego.
My mission is to bring people together, foster meaningful connections, and leverage my expertise in digital marketing and lead generation to help entrepreneurs and business owners grow and succeed.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I covered that earlier from my transition from Gas Station/Auto Repair Shop owner to Digital Marketing and SD Networking Events.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
A key component of building a successful business and brand is establishing a strong social media presence. Prospective customers often evaluate your company not only through your website, but also by reviewing your social media profiles and online ratings on platforms such as Google Business and Yelp.
Consistently creating high-quality content is essential, and with today’s AI tools, there are more resources than ever to support this effort. There is a clear opportunity for every business to maintain an active, engaging, and credible digital presence.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sdnetworkingevents.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sdentrepreneur
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jameshickeysdentrepreneur
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sdccpro
- Twitter: https://www.X.com/sdentrepreneur
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SDNetworkingEvents
